95-502: The term Early Buddhism can refer to at least two distinct periods in the History of Buddhism , mostly in the History of Buddhism in India : Pre-sectarian Buddhism , which refers to the teachings and monastic organization and structure, founded by Gautama Buddha . The Early Buddhist schools , into which pre-sectarian Buddhism split during or after
190-503: A Naga and several plaques of Mithuna figures (Kama, eros-scenes common in Hindu temples). Between 1986 and 1996, Japanese archaeologists led by Yoshinori Aboshi completed nine seasons of archaeological excavations in and around the Sravasti site, this time with carbon dating. They reported that the ancient city was surrounded by an earthen rampart with a circumference of about 5.2 kilometers, in
285-504: A Vihara complex with a inscribed stone dated year 1176 in the Vikram era (early 12th-century CE). This established that Shravasti was an active Buddhist site through at least the 12th century, but also confirmed that one of the stupa here was named Jetavana vihara. Around 1908, Vogel led more thorough archaeological excavations here and this confirmed for the first time that the Sahet-Mahet site
380-647: A basic framework, and not all of the early schools developed an Abhidhamma literature. During the reign of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (268–232 BCE), Buddhism gained royal support and began to spread more widely, reaching most of the Indian subcontinent. After his invasion of Kalinga , Ashoka seems to have experienced remorse and began working to improve the lives of his subjects. Ashoka also built wells, rest-houses and hospitals for humans and animals. He also abolished torture, royal hunting trips and perhaps even
475-544: A crescent shape (likely along the ancient river) and was spread over 160 hectares. In addition to the wider area, the Japanese team excavated much deeper layers than prior efforts. They report that the layers and items they uncovered from Sravasti are from 8th-century BCE through all of the 1st millennium CE, with large scale monastery construction after the Kushana Empire era. The 1986–1996 excavations efforts brought to light
570-411: A highly symmetric square plan architecture; for example, a later monastic complex had a square platform, with 28 vihara cells each 2.6 meter square. This structure was built from a mix of bricks and wood, and the excavation process discovered a thick layer of charcoal on top of this large platform. An analysis affirmed that this structure was burnt down, and thereafter completely abandoned by the monks as
665-567: A portion of the Sarvāstivādin Abhidharma. Modern scholars such as Etienne Lamotte and David Snellgrove have questioned the veracity of this traditional account. Scholars believe that it was also around this time that a significant change was made in the language of the Sarvāstivādin canon, by converting an earlier Prakrit version into Sanskrit . Although this change was probably effected without significant loss of integrity to
760-435: A previously unknown, large scale bathing tank (almost square in plan, about 25 meters on one side), another large caitya complex, four new stupas, and other monuments. It also yielded evidence that many Sravasti monuments suffered repeated damage from floods between the 1st and 10th-century, the residents of Sravasti attempted to rebuild some of the monuments several times. The later structures largely and increasingly followed
855-763: A sapling of the sacred bodhi tree that was subsequently planted in Anuradhapura . These two figures are seen as the mythical founders of the Sri Lankan Theravada . They are said to have converted the King Devanampiya Tissa (307–267 BCE) and many of the nobility. The first architectural records of Buddha images, however, actually come from the reign of King Vasabha (65–109 CE). The major Buddhist monasteries and schools in Ancient Sri Lanka were Mahāvihāra , Abhayagiri and Jetavana . The Pāli canon
950-524: A subject of numerous historic reliefs, statues and literature in Buddhism. Sravasti is also important to Hinduism and Jainism . The earliest manuscripts of both mention it and weave some of their legends in Sravasti. Archaeological excavations of the Sravasti site have unearthed numerous artworks and monuments related to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. Shravasti, as a capital, was at the junction of three major trading routes in ancient India, connecting it to
1045-513: A temple for the maternal aunt of the Buddha. Next to these, states Xuanzang, is the great stupa of Angulimala. About five li (~2 kilometers in the 7th century) south of the city, he saw the Jetavana garden with two 70 feet high pillars standing in front of a dilapidated monastery. One great pillar has a wheel carved at its top, the other a bull. Xuanzang visits and chronicles all the monuments associated with
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#17328486719081140-863: Is a town in Shravasti district in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It was the capital of the ancient Indian kingdom of Kosala and the place where the Buddha lived most after his enlightenment. It is near the Rapti river in the northeastern part of Uttar Pradesh India, close to the Nepalese border. Shravasti is one of the most revered sites in Buddhism . It is believed to be where the Buddha taught many of his Suttas (sermons), converted many of his famous disciples, and performed his "Sravasti miracles" – "great miracle" and "twin miracle" –
1235-402: Is about 50 kilometres (31 mi) of Gonda railway and bus hub, and about 170 kilometres (106 mi) north-east of Lucknow airport. It is connected to India's highway network with NH-927, 730 and 330. Shravasti is also referred to as Saheth-Maheth, or sometimes just Sahet-Mahet, in archaeological and historical scholarship. These are two sites separated by less than 2 kilometers. Saheth
1330-417: Is also called Chandrapuri or Chandrikapuri, because Jain texts state that two of their Tirthankaras were born here millions of years ago, in prehistoric times – Sambhavanatha (3rd) and Chandraprabhanatha (8th of 24). Further, Sravasti is the place of the bitter arguments and meeting between Mahavira – the 24th Tirthankara, and Gosala Mankhaliputta – the founder of Ajivikas and a rival. According to
1425-768: Is claimed to have been founded by a Vedic king named Sravasta (or Sravastaka), himself the son of king Srava. The ancient is extensively mentioned both in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata . Numerous later Hindu texts such as the Harsha-charita and Kathasarit-sagara , base some of their legends in Shravasti. The Chinese Pilgrim Fa-Hein travelled to India about 399 CE, and stayed for about 10 years in his quest to learn Sanskrit and obtain original Buddhist texts. He mentions Sravasti, and describes how he reached Kapilavastu from Sravasti. The hints and scenes mentioned by Faxian were one of
1520-400: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages History of Buddhism The history of Buddhism can be traced back to the 5th century BCE. Buddhism originated from Ancient India , in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha , and is based on the teachings of the renunciate Siddhārtha Gautama . The religion evolved as it spread from
1615-654: Is highly reminiscent of the Gandhāran style, and scriptures in the Gandhāri script Kharoṣṭhī have been found. The Uyghurs conquered the area in the 8th century and blended with the local Iranian peoples, absorbing the Buddhist culture of the region. They were later absorbed by the Mongol Yuan dynasty . Many printed Buddhist texts from the region date to the Yuan, and they were printed in
1710-449: Is implausible and likely a gross exaggeration based on the Buddhist oral traditions. Yet, it also reflects a community memory of Shravasti as a prosperous large capital. In Ajivika and Jaina literature, the same Kosala capital is called Saravana, Kunalnagari and Chandrikapuri. As Saravana, this site is considered the birthplace of Gosala Mankhaliputta. The ancient Shravasti is found in the literature of all major Indian religions. Of these,
1805-668: Is located the stupa where the Buddha performed the Twin Miracle ( Pali : Yamaka-pātihāriya ). At the current complex, managed by ASI, many monuments can be seen including the Angulimala 's stupa , Anathapindika 's stupa, and the Shobhanatha temple. There is an old temple dedicated to a Jain Tirthankara Sambhavanatha , which Jains believe is the site where he was born in pre-historic times. The site of Jetavana monastery
1900-470: Is mentioned in numerous Hindu texts. The Buddhist and Jain texts corroborate the presence of numerous Brahmanas (scholars) and Vedic teachers in Shravasti. They are presented as debating ideas, with Buddhist sources showing the ideas of the Buddha to be superior, while Jaina sources showing the ideas of the Tirthankaras as superior, both mocking all the other sides. In Hindu texts such as their epics, Sravasti
1995-554: Is over six thousand li in circuit with a capital city that is desolate, though some residents still live here. He mentions it has over hundred monasteries, many dilapidated. In these monasteries, Buddhist monks study Hinayana Buddhism (now called Theravada, Xuanzang belonged to the Mahayana Buddhism tradition). He saw the decaying remains of Prasenajit's palace, then to its east the Great Dhamma Hall stupa, another stupa and
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#17328486719082090-502: Is presented in the Mahāyāna tradition as one of the great benefactors of the faith, on a par with king Aśoka or the later Kushan king Kaniśka . Menander's coins bear designs of the eight-spoked dharma wheel , a classic Buddhist symbol. Direct cultural exchange is also suggested by a dialogue called the Debate of King Milinda ( Milinda Pañha ) which recounts a discussion between Menander and
2185-460: Is smaller and contains the Jetavana monuments. Maheth refers to the walled complex within a much damaged ancient mud fort. The site is most known for its Buddhist monuments, though significant important ruins of old Hindu and Jain temples along with artwork have also been found here. Adjacent to Maheth, to its northwest, are also medieval era Islamic tombs. The word Shravasti is rooted in Sanskrit and
2280-498: Is to the south of Rapti river. It is surrounded with ruined massive walls about 60 feet high, built about the 3rd-century BCE. These walls become visible from far as one approaches the site. Approaching from Lucknow, after the walls, a right turn takes one to the Maheth site, while the Saheth site with Jetavana monastery is further ahead about half a kilometer away. Further ahead, to the north is
2375-410: Is traditionally said to have been held just after Buddha's Parinirvana , and presided over by Mahākāśyapa , one of his most senior disciples, at Rājagṛha (today's Rajgir ) with the support of king Ajātasattu . According to Charles Prebish, almost all scholars have questioned the historicity of this first council. After an initial period of unity, divisions in the sangha or monastic community led to
2470-566: The Abhidharma , although it is possible that some editorial work was carried out upon the existing Sarvastivada canon itself. Allegedly during the council there were altogether three hundred thousand verses and over nine million statements compiled, and it took twelve years to complete. The main fruit of this council was the compilation of the vast commentary known as the Mahā-Vibhāshā ("Great Exegesis"), an extensive compendium and reference work on
2565-553: The Edicts of Ashoka ), emissaries were sent to various countries in order to spread Buddhism, as far south as Sri Lanka and as far west as the Greek kingdoms, in particular the neighboring Greco-Bactrian Kingdom , and possibly even farther to the Mediterranean . Theravadin sources state that Ashoka convened the third Buddhist council around 250 BCE at Pataliputra (today's Patna ) with
2660-696: The Gandharan site of Hadda . Several influential Greek Buddhist monks are recorded. Mahadharmaraksita (literally translated as 'Great Teacher/Preserver of the Dharma'), was "a Greek (" Yona ") Buddhist head monk", according to the Mahavamsa (Chap. XXIX), who led 30,000 Buddhist monks from "the Greek city of Alasandra" ( Alexandria of the Caucasus , around 150 km north of today's Kabul in Afghanistan ), to Sri Lanka for
2755-598: The Mahayana sutras . The Mahayana sutras promoted new doctrines, such as the idea that "there exist other Buddhas who are simultaneously preaching in countless other world-systems". In time Mahayana Bodhisattvas and also multiple Buddhas came to be seen as transcendental beneficent beings who were subjects of devotion. Mahayana remained a minority among Indian Buddhists for some time, growing slowly until about half of all monks encountered by Xuanzang in 7th-century India were Mahayanists. Early Mahayana schools of thought included
2850-677: The Mādhyamaka , Yogācāra , and Buddha-nature ( Tathāgatagarbha ) teachings. Mahayana is today the dominant form of Buddhism in East Asia and Tibet. Several scholars have suggested that the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras , which are among the earliest Mahāyāna sūtras, developed among the Mahāsāṃghika along the Kṛṣṇa River in the Āndhra region of South India . The earliest Mahāyāna sūtras to include
2945-1090: The Sarvāstivāda , the Pudgalavāda (also known as Vatsīputrīya ), the Dharmaguptakas and the Vibhajyavāda (the Theravādins being descended from these. The Mahasamghikas meanwhile also developed their own schools and doctrines early on, which can be seen in texts like the Mahavastu , associated with the Lokottaravāda , or ‘Transcendentalist’ school, who might be the same as the Ekavyāvahārikas or "One-utterancers". This school has been seen as foreshadowing certain Mahayana ideas, especially due to their view that all of Gautama Buddha's acts were "transcendental" or "supramundane", even those performed before his Buddhahood. In
Early Buddhism - Misplaced Pages Continue
3040-574: The Bodhisattvayana, began sometime between 150 BCE and 100 CE, drawing on both Mahasamghika and Sarvastivada trends. The earliest inscription which is recognizably Mahayana dates from 180 CE and is found in Mathura . The Mahayana emphasized the Bodhisattva path to full Buddhahood (in contrast to the spiritual goal of arhatship ). It emerged as a set of loose groups associated with new texts named
3135-399: The Buddha spent twenty-five varshas in Shravasti. Scholars such as Rhys Davids state that this could mean two things. Either the Buddha primarily lived in Shravasti after his enlightenment, or that the oral tradition in early Buddhism was "systematized in Shravasti". Malalasekera, a historian of Buddhism, considers the former more likely. Either way, Shravasti is the key site where almost all
3230-521: The Buddhist monk Nāgasena , who was himself a student of the Greek Buddhist monk Mahadharmaraksita . Upon Menander's death, the honor of sharing his remains was claimed by the cities under his rule, and they were enshrined in stupas , in a parallel with the historic Buddha. Several of Menander's Indo-Greek successors inscribed "Follower of the Dharma," in the Kharoṣṭhī script, on their coins. During
3325-461: The Buddhist sources are most extensive. It is also described in more historical records such as those left by the Chinese pilgrims to India. Shravasti is the location where the Buddha gave most of his talks, later remembered by his followers and centuries later written down as Suttas . According to Woodward, 871 suttas in the four Nikayas of Buddhist canons, are based in Shravasti. These texts add that
3420-580: The Buddhist tradition, the Buddha is remembered for having performed miracles, of which two are particularly popular in reliefs found in its stupas, artwork and literature. The Buddha is believed to have performed the Mahapratiharya or the "great miracle", and the Yamakapratiharya or the " twin miracle " in Shravasti. These are called the "Sravasti miracles". Sravasti is oft mentioned in Jaina sources. It
3515-589: The Chinese pilgrim's records. Yet, all of these monuments and items found during the excavations were from 1st-century CE or after. In 1959, Sinha led another series of excavations at Shravasti, particularly near the fort walls of Sahet-Mahet. This yielded evidence that the walls were built and repaired in three periods, ranging between the 3rd-century BCE to about 1st-century CE. The deeper layers also yielded wares with graffiti, jewelry, short sections inscribed in Brahmi script, as well as terracotta figures of mother goddess,
3610-576: The Christian dogmatist, Clement of Alexandria recognized Bactrian śramanas and Indian gymnosophists for their influence on Greek thought. Sri Lankan chronicles like the Dipavamsa state that Ashoka's son Mahinda brought Buddhism to the island during the 2nd century BCE. In addition, Ashoka's daughter, Saṅghamitta also established the bhikkhunī (order for nuns) in Sri Lanka, also bringing with her
3705-675: The Gandhāran city of Peshawar (Skt. Purusapura ), which he used as a capital. Kushan royal support and the opening of trade routes allowed Gandharan Buddhism to spread along the Silk Road to Central Asia , the Tarim Basin and thus to China. Kanishka is also said to have convened a major Buddhist council for the Sarvastivada tradition, either in Gandhara or Kashmir . Kanishka gathered 500 learned monks partly to compile extensive commentaries on
3800-462: The Ganges valley, spreading gradually from its ancient heartland. The canonical sources record various councils, where the monastic Sangha recited and organized the orally transmitted collections of the Buddha's teachings and settled certain disciplinary problems within the community. Modern scholarship has questioned the accuracy and historicity of these traditional accounts. The first Buddhist council
3895-872: The Hellenistic world, which at that time formed an uninterrupted cultural continuum from the borders of India to Greece. The edicts indicate a clear understanding of the political organization in Hellenistic territories: the names and locations of the main Greek monarchs of the time are identified, and they are claimed as recipients of Buddhist proselytism : Antiochus II Theos of the Seleucid Kingdom (261–246 BCE), Ptolemy II Philadelphos of Egypt (285–247 BCE), Antigonus Gonatas of Macedonia (276–239 BCE), Magas (288–258 BCE) in Cyrenaica (modern Libya ), and Alexander II (272–255 BCE) in Epirus (modern Northwestern Greece ). One of
Early Buddhism - Misplaced Pages Continue
3990-510: The Hindu tradition. As per Bhagavata Purana this city was built by a king called Shravasta who descended from Vaivasvata Manu .In Pali and Buddhist literature, it is called Savatthi. Early Buddhist literature paint Savatthi as a mega-urban center in the time of the Buddha. The 5th-century Buddhist commentator and philosopher Buddhaghosa , living some 900 years after the death of the Buddha, states that there were 5.7 million residents in Savatthi. This
4085-518: The Jain texts, the Mahavira visited Shravasti many times and spent one varsha monsoon season here. He was hosted by a wealthy merchant named Nandinipriya. Ancient Jain scholars such as Kapila , Maghavan and Keshi studied in Shravasti. The king of Kosala who patronized the Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivikas in his kingdom, performed Vedic rituals. He sponsored many Vedic schools. In these and others ways, Shravasti
4180-562: The Peshawar basin). However it continued to thrive in adjacent areas like the Swat Valley of Pakistan, Gilgit , Kashmir and in Afghanistan (in sites such as Bamiyan ). Central Asia was home to the international trade route known as the Silk Road , which carried goods between China , India , the Middle East and the Mediterranean world . Buddhism was present in this region from about
4275-621: The Shungas may or may not have contributed. The Greco-Bactrian king Demetrius I (reigned c. 200–180 BCE) invaded the Indian Subcontinent, establishing an Indo-Greek kingdom that was to last in parts of Northwest South Asia until the end of the 1st century CE. Buddhism flourished under the Indo-Greek and Greco-Bactrian kings. One of the most famous Indo-Greek kings is Menander (reigned c. 160–135 BCE). He may have converted to Buddhism and
4370-400: The Sravasti legends with the Buddha. He also visited a Buddhist temple 60 feet high with a seated Buddha image in Shravasti, and a deva temple about the same size as the Buddha temple, both in good condition. Over sixty li to the northwest of Sravasti capital, he saw a series of stupas built by Ashoka for Kasyapa Buddha. The Shravasti archaeological site, also called the Saheth–Maheth site,
4465-588: The Uyghur, Xixia and Sanskrit languages. The Uyghurs also restored cave temples and repainted Buddhist wall paintings such as at Bezeklik . Uyghur Buddhism was the last major Buddhist culture in Xinjiang and it lasted until the mid 14th century. After the Islamicisation of Xinjiang , Buddhism ceased to be a major religion there. Buddhism continued to flourish in India during the Gupta Empire (4th–6th centuries) which brought order to much of north India. Gupta rulers such as Kumaragupta I (c. 414–455 CE) supported Buddhism. He enlarged Nālandā university, which became
4560-406: The West. Philosophers like Hegesias of Cyrene and Pyrrho are sometimes thought to have been influenced by Buddhist teachings. Buddhist gravestones from the Ptolemaic period have also been found in Alexandria, decorated with depictions of the Dharma wheel. The presence of Buddhists in Alexandria has even drawn the conclusion that they influenced monastic Christianity. In the 2nd century CE,
4655-427: The area (circa 440s–670). Under the Hephthalites, Gandharan Buddhism continued to thrive in cities like Balkh ( Bactria ), as remarked by Xuanzang who visited the region in the 7th century. Xuanzang notes that there were over a hundred Buddhist monasteries in the city, including the Nava Vihara as well many stupas and monks. After the end of the Hephthalite empire, Gandharan Buddhism declined in Gandhara proper (in
4750-407: The basis of an early colonial-era incorrect conjecture on the current location of historic Kapilavastu – the birthplace of Buddha. Xuanzang describes the country of Shravasti in Fascicle 6 of his travelogue Dà Táng Xīyù Jì . In this fascicle, he presents four countries including Shravasti, and describes the villages and towns in the region as deserted and dilapidated. He says the Shravasti country
4845-436: The canon, this event was of particular significance since Sanskrit was the sacred language of Brahmanism in India, and was also being used by other thinkers, regardless of their specific religious or philosophical allegiance, thus enabling a far wider audience to gain access to Buddhist ideas and practices. After the fall of the Kushans, small kingdoms ruled the Gandharan region, and later the Hephthalite White Huns conquered
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#17328486719084940-449: The carbon dating suggests that the structures in Sravasti were largely built from 1st-century CE through most of the Gupta period. The layers suggest that the monasteries and the city went through a period of stagnation and decline about the 5th century and then expanded again from 7th-century onwards through the 12th-century, then they were burnt down. The most important finds through the various excavations include: Outside of Shravasti
5035-416: The combustion products were undisturbed. About 100 meters away from this burnt down site, they discovered another large caitya complex which was also covered with a thick layer of charcoal and combustion residue of the same age. Similar observations across many spots, separated by significant distances, suggests that the Buddhist monastic complexes of Sravasti were likely burnt down at the same time. Further,
5130-412: The contrary" to the claim that "Pushyamitra was a fanatical anti-Buddhist" and that he "never actually destroyed 840,000 stupas as claimed by Buddhist works, if any". Thapar stresses that Buddhist accounts are probably hyperbolic renditions of Pushyamitra's attack of the Mauryas, and merely reflect the desperate frustration of the Buddhist religious figures in the face of the possibly irreversible decline in
5225-412: The death penalty. Ashoka also supported non-Buddhist faiths like Jainism and Brahmanism . Ashoka propagated religion by building stupas and pillars urging, among other things, respect of all animal life and enjoining people to follow the Dharma . He has been hailed by Buddhist sources as the model for the compassionate chakravartin (wheel turning monarch). Another feature of Mauryan Buddhism
5320-402: The dedication of the Great Stupa in Anuradhapura during the rule (165–135 BCE) of King Menander I . Dhammarakkhita (meaning: Protected by the Dharma ), was one of the missionaries sent by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka to proselytize the Buddhist faith. He is described as being a Greek ( Pali : "Yona", lit. " Ionian ") in the Sri Lankan Mahavamsa . The Kushan empire (30–375 CE)
5415-608: The development of sectarian identities. The various splits within the monastic organization went together with the introduction and emphasis on Abhidhammic literature by some schools. This literature was specific to each school, and arguments and disputes between the schools were often based on these Abhidhammic writings. However, actual splits were originally based on disagreements on vinaya (monastic discipline), though later on, by about 100 CE or earlier, they could be based on doctrinal disagreement. Pre-sectarian Buddhism, however, did not have Abhidhammic scriptures, except perhaps for
5510-497: The different regions of the Indian subcontinent . Inscribed slabs and statues found at and near Sravasti suggest it was an active Buddhist site and prosperous area from the time of the Buddha ( c. 5th-century BCE) through at least the 12th-century CE. It was destroyed and covered with mounds sometime in or after the 13th-century, chronologically marking the arrival and establishment of the Delhi Sultanate . Excavations between 1986 and 1996, led by Japanese archaeologists, suggest that
5605-583: The edicts states: Furthermore, according to the Mahavamsa (XII), some of Ashoka's emissaries were Greek ( Yona ), particularly one named Dhammarakkhita . He also issued edicts in the Greek language as well as in Aramaic. One of them, found in Kandahar, advocates the adoption of "piety" (using the Greek term eusebeia for Dharma ) to the Greek community. It is not clear how much these interactions may have been influential, but authors like Robert Linssen have commented that Buddhism may have influenced Western thought and religion at that time. Linssen points to
5700-420: The elder Moggaliputtatissa . The objective of the council was to purify the Saṅgha, particularly from non-Buddhist ascetics who had been attracted by the royal patronage. Following the council, Buddhist missionaries were dispatched throughout the known world, as is recorded in some of the edicts of Ashoka. Some of the Edicts of Ashoka describe the efforts made by him to propagate the Buddhist faith throughout
5795-425: The first century BCE the first anthropomorphic representations of the Buddha are found in the lands ruled by the Indo-Greeks, in a realistic style known as Greco-Buddhist . Many of the stylistic elements in the representations of the Buddha point to Greek influence: the Greco-Roman toga -like wavy robe covering both shoulders (more exactly, its lighter version, the Greek himation ), the contrapposto stance of
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#17328486719085890-402: The first clean up and partial excavation of Shravasti in 1876. This successfully revealed the stupas and small shrines, but these were of a later date. This renewed the debate of whether Cunningham's proposal was correct and where the real Shravasti is. About a decade later, in 1885, Hoey completed a more extensive excavations, but these were also partial. The most significant discovery of Hoey was
5985-419: The first schism of the sangha into two groups: the Sthavira (Elders) and Mahasamghika (Great Sangha). Most scholars agree that the schism was caused by disagreements over points of vinaya (monastic discipline). Over time, these two monastic fraternities would further divide into various Early Buddhist Schools . Lamotte and Hirakawa both maintain that the first schism in the Buddhist sangha occurred during
6080-537: The head of each Buddhist monk. Modern historians, however, dispute this view in the light of literary and archaeological evidence. They opine that following Ashoka's sponsorship of Buddhism, it is possible that Buddhist institutions fell on harder times under the Shungas, but no evidence of active persecution has been noted. Etienne Lamotte observes: "To judge from the documents, Pushyamitra must be acquitted through lack of proof." Another eminent historian, Romila Thapar points to archaeological evidence that "suggests
6175-501: The householder life and lived as a sramana ascetic for some time studying under various teachers, before attaining nirvana (extinguishment) and bodhi (awakening) through meditation. For the remaining 45 years of his life, he traveled the Gangetic Plains of eastern-central India (the region of the Ganges River and its tributaries), teaching his doctrine to a diverse range of people from different castes and initiating monks into his order. The Buddha sent his disciples to spread
6270-490: The importance of their religion under the Shungas. During the period, Buddhist monks deserted the Ganges valley, following either the northern road ( uttarapatha ) or the southern road ( dakṣinapatha ). Conversely, Buddhist artistic creation stopped in the old Magadha area, to reposition itself either in the northwest area of Gandhāra and Mathura or in the southeast around Amaravati Stupa . Some artistic activity also occurred in central India, as in Bhārhut , to which
6365-399: The largest and most influential Buddhist university in India for many centuries. Great Buddhist philosophers like Dignaga , and Dharmakirti taught philosophy there. Nalanda remained a central place for the study of epistemology ( pramana ). Another major Buddhist university was Valabhi , in western India, which was second only to Nalanda in the 5th century. This influential university
6460-445: The late 19th-century through the 1990s. It is now a small town, a center of heritage tourism and religious pilgrimage by Buddhists from around the world. Shravasti (Sravasti) is located in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, now in Shravasti district of Uttar Pradesh. This is a region of many rivers and rivulets. Sravasti is on the banks of West Rapti river ( Achiravati ) – now a seasonal river that typically dries up in summer. It
6555-480: The later establishment of the Ghaznavid kingdom in Central Asia (c. 977–1186) led to the decline and eventual disappearance of Buddhism from most of these regions. Buddhism also flourished in the eastern part of central Asia, like the Tarim Basin . Indians and Iranians lived in major cities of this region like Kashgar and Khotan . The region has revealed extremely rich Buddhist works of art as well as Buddhist texts such as those found in Dunhuang . Serindian art
6650-478: The local languages, such as Khotanese (a Middle Iranian language ), Sogdian (also Iranian), Uighur ( Turkish ), Tangut , Tibetan , and Chinese. Central Asians played a key role in the transmission of Buddhism to China The first translators of Buddhists scriptures into Chinese were Iranians, including the Parthian An Shigao (c. 148 CE), the Yuezhi Zhi Qian and Kang Sengkai (from Samarkand). Thirty-seven early translators of Buddhist texts are known, and
6745-405: The majority of them have been identified as hailing from the Iranian cultural sphere. The Zoroastrian Sassanian empire (226–651 CE) would eventually rule over many of these regions (such as Parthia and Sogdia ), but they tolerated the Buddhist religion. However, during the mid-seventh century, the Arab conquest of the Iranian Plateau followed by the Muslim conquests of Afghanistan and
6840-417: The massive ancient wall ruins. Scholars of his time were debating competing candidate locations in India and Nepal for the "ancient site of Shravasti", largely based on the travelogues of Chinese pilgrims. Cunningham linked this site with a colossal Bodhisattva image found nearby with early Kushana era inscription. He also measured and published a pretty detailed map for both Saheth and Maheth. Cunningham led
6935-497: The northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent throughout Central , East , and Southeast Asia . At one time or another, it influenced most of Asia . The history of Buddhism is also characterized by the development of numerous movements, schisms, and philosophical schools. Among them were the Theravāda , Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions, with contrasting periods of expansion and retreat. Siddhārtha Gautama (5th cent. BCE)
7030-593: The presence of Buddhist communities in the Hellenistic world around that period, in particular in Alexandria (mentioned by Clement of Alexandria ), and to the pre-Christian monastic order of the Therapeutae (possibly a deformation of the Pāli word " Theravāda " ), who may have "almost entirely drawn (its) inspiration from the teaching and practices of Buddhist asceticism" and may even have been descendants of Aśoka's emissaries to
7125-521: The region throughout Central Asia. During the first century CE under the Kushans, the Sarvastivada school flourished in this region, some of the monks also bringing Mahayana teachings with them. Buddhism would eventually reach modern-day Pakistan , Kashmir , Afghanistan , Uzbekistan , Turkmenistan and Tajikistan . As Buddhism reached many of these lands, Buddhists began to translate and produce texts in
7220-471: The reign of Ashoka Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Early Buddhism . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Early_Buddhism&oldid=1252150576 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
7315-533: The reign of Ashoka. According to scholar Collett Cox "most scholars would agree that even though the roots of the earliest recognized groups predate Aśoka , their actual separation did not occur until after his death." According to the Theravada tradition, the split took place at the Second Buddhist council , which took place at Vaishali , approximately one hundred years after Gautama Buddha's parinirvāṇa . While
7410-495: The remembered teachings of the Buddha were either heard or compiled, and centuries later were recorded as the Pali canon elsewhere. Shravasti is also mentioned as the capital and home of king Prasenajit – where the royal patron of the Buddha lived. It was also the home of Anathapindada – the richest early donor for the Buddha. Anathapindada is famous in the Buddhist literature as the one who offered his Jetavana grove and residences. In
7505-499: The seasonal Rapti river which likely has changed it course over the last 2000 years. The Nepalese Himalayan foothills frame the view to the north. The Shravasti archaeological site and its potential importance was first identified by the British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham in 1863. At that time, the site was two significant mounds, as well as monuments whose stones and bricks were partly visible and covered with vegetation, all inside
7600-520: The second century BCE. Initially, the Dharmaguptaka school was the most successful in their efforts to spread Buddhism in Central Asia. The Kingdom of Khotan was one of the earliest Buddhist kingdoms in the area and helped transmit Buddhism from India to China. The Kushan Empire 's unification of most of this area and their support of Buddhism allowed it to easily spread along the trade routes of
7695-581: The second council probably was a historical event, traditions regarding the Second Council are confusing and ambiguous. According to the Theravada tradition the overall result was the first schism in the sangha , between the Sthavira nikāya and the Mahāsāṃghikas, although it is not agreed upon by all what the cause of this split was. The Sthaviras gave birth to a large number of influential schools including
7790-448: The site continued to be built up and expanded through the 1st millennium. Thereafter, the discovery of numerous charcoal remains and burnt soil suggests that a large portion of the site was burnt down and damaged, while other parts went into disuse and suffered the effects of erosion. The Shravasti site was rediscovered by a team of British and Indian archaeologists in late 19th-century. It has attracted waves of systematic excavations from
7885-410: The teaching across India. He also initiated an order of nuns. He urged his disciples to teach in the local language or dialects. He spent a lot of his time near the cities of Sāvatthī , Rājagaha and Vesālī (Skt. Śrāvastī, Rājagrha, Vāiśalī). By the time of his death at 80, he had thousands of followers. After the death of the Buddha, the Buddhist sangha (monastic community) remained centered on
7980-656: The third century BCE, some Buddhists began introducing new systematized teachings called Abhidharma , based on previous lists or tables ( Matrka ) of main doctrinal topics. Unlike the Nikayas , which were prose sutras or discourses, the Abhidharma literature consisted of systematic doctrinal exposition and often differed across the Buddhist schools who disagreed on points of doctrine. Abhidharma sought to analyze all experience into its ultimate constituents, phenomenal events or processes called dharmas . These texts further contributed to
8075-599: The traditional Sri Lankan commentary literature ( Atthakatha ). Although Mahāyāna Buddhism gained some influence in Sri Lanka as it was studied in Abhayagiri and Jetavana , the Mahavihara (“Great Monastery”) school became dominant in Sri Lanka following the reign of Parakramabahu I (1153–1186), who abolished the Abhayagiri and Jetavanin traditions. The Buddhist movement that became known as Mahayana (Great Vehicle) and also
8170-488: The upright figures (see: 1st–2nd century Gandhara standing Buddhas ), the stylicized Mediterranean curly hair and topknot ( ushnisha ) apparently derived from the style of the Belvedere Apollo (330 BCE), and the measured quality of the faces, all rendered with strong artistic realism (See: Greek art ). A large quantity of sculptures combining Buddhist and purely Hellenistic styles and iconography were excavated at
8265-520: The very first versions of the Prajñāpāramitā genre, along with texts concerning Akṣobhya Buddha , which were probably written down in the 1st century BCE in the south of India. A.K. Warder believes that "the Mahāyāna originated in the south of India and almost certainly in the Āndhra country." Anthony Barber and Sree Padma also trace Mahayana Buddhism to ancient Buddhist sites in the lower Kṛṣṇa Valley, including Amaravati Stupa , Nāgārjunakoṇḍā and Jaggayyapeṭa . The Shunga dynasty (185–73 BCE)
8360-509: Was a synthesis of Greco-Roman, Iranian and Indian elements. The Gandhāran Buddhist texts also date from this period. Written in Gāndhārī Prakrit , they are the oldest Buddhist manuscripts yet discovered (c. 1st century CE). According to Richard Salomon, most of them belong to the Dharmaguptaka school. Emperor Kanishka (128–151 CE) is particularly known for his support of Buddhism. During his reign, stupas and monasteries were built in
8455-680: Was established about 50 years after Ashoka's death. After assassinating King Brhadrata (last of the Mauryan rulers), military commander-in-chief Pushyamitra Shunga took the throne. Buddhist religious scriptures such as the Aśokāvadāna allege that Pushyamitra (an orthodox Brahmin ) was hostile towards Buddhists and persecuted the Buddhist faith. Buddhists wrote that he "destroyed hundreds of monasteries and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Monks": 840,000 Buddhist stupas which had been built by Ashoka were destroyed, and 100 gold coins were offered for
8550-471: Was formed by the invading Yuezhi nomads in the 1st century BCE. It eventually encompassed much of northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Kushans adopted elements of the Hellenistic culture of Bactria and the Indo-Greeks. During Kushan rule, Gandharan Buddhism was at the height of its influence and a significant number of Buddhist centers were built or renovated. The Buddhist art of Kushan Gandhara
8645-464: Was founded and supported by the Maitraka dynasty . It was mainly a center of sravakayana Buddhism (that is, non-Mahayana), but was also a place for the study of numerous subjects including secular topics of higher education (such as medicine, logic and grammar). Shravasti Shravasti ( Sanskrit : श्रावस्ती , IAST : Śrāvasti ); Pali : 𑀲𑀸𑀯𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀻 , romanized: Sāvatthī )
8740-400: Was indeed the ancient Sravasti much revered in historic Buddhist texts. In 1910, Marshall and Sahni led another expanded excavation and discovered more monuments here. All of these excavations yielded increasing amounts of ancient stupas, temples, sculptures, inscriptions, coins, seals and terracottas. These also confirmed and resonated with most of the sites mentioned in Buddhist texts such as
8835-661: Was the historical founder of Buddhism . The early sources state he was born in the small Shakya (Pali: Sakya) Republic, which was part of the Kosala realm of ancient India , now in modern-day Nepal . He is thus also known as the Shakyamuni (literally: "The sage of the Shakya clan"). The Early Buddhist Texts contain no continuous life of the buddha, only later after 200 BCE where various "biographies" with much mythological embellishment written. All texts agree however that Gautama renounced
8930-480: Was the worship and veneration of stupas , large mounds which contained relics ( Pali : sarīra ) of the Buddha or other saints within. It was believed that the practice of devotion to these relics and stupas could bring blessings. Perhaps the best-preserved example of a Mauryan Buddhist site is the Great Stupa of Sanchi (dating from the 3rd century BCE). According to the plates and pillars left by Aśoka (known as
9025-452: Was written down during the 1st century BCE to preserve the teaching in a time of war and famine. It is the only complete collection of Buddhist texts to survive in a Middle Indo-Aryan language . It reflects the tradition of the Mahavihara school. Later Pali Mahavihara commentators of the Theravada such as Buddhaghoṣa (4th–5th century) and Dhammapāla (5th–6th century), systematized
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